INDIANAPOLIS -- Quarterback Ryan Mallett passed on a chance to set the record straight Saturday about rumors of drug use while at Arkansas.

A potential first-round draft pick, Mallett faced questions at the NFL scouting combine because of an article on www.101espn.com. Tony Softli, a former NFL executive in Carolina and St. Louis, wrote "heavy rumors of drug use and possible addiction kept him from coming out for the 2010 draft. A lot of people are comparing Mallett to Ryan Leaf."

Mallett tried to deflect the rumors without denying them, saying they were beyond his control, but alleged an ulterior motive in the timing of the story.

"Obviously somebody did it for a reason, right before the combine, right before the draft," Mallett said. "That's the last I'm going to talk about it, though. I've talked to the teams. It's all good."

At 6-foot-6 and 240 pounds, Mallett may have the strongest arm of any quarterback in the draft and said he can throw the football "80-plus" yards.

Stanford nose tackle Sione Fua, projected as a mid-round selection, has been working with former 49ers and Raiders center Jeremy Newberry through the Octagon agency that represents him. "We'll watch film and he'll find things in my game, telling me, 'You need to fix this because I know what your doing,' " Fua said. At 6-foot-2 and 308 pounds, Fua said teams may want him a little heavier but is eager to prove he can do more than play nose tackle in a 3-4 defense -- which is where he excelled as a Cardinal senior.

Advertisement

Florida offensive lineman Mike Pouncey, twin brother of Steelers Pro Bowl rookie center Maurkice Pouncey, admitted it was strange at first to be separated from his brother. Maurkice was a first-round draft pick by Pittsburgh out of Florida, No. 18 overall, while Mike, hearing a late-first or early-second round projection, opted to stay in school. "It was tough, because we spent our whole life together, but even if I came out we would have been separated anyway," Mike Pouncey said. "Everything my brother accomplished, I want to do the same thing and even better." Pouncey hopes to play center like his brother, but if he were to be taken by Pittsburgh at No. 31 overall, he'd likely end up at guard. "I'm not crossing them out. I hope they do (draft me)," he said.

As good as Nick Fairley was at Auburn, some draft analysts have Alabama's Marcell Dareus rated as the better defensive tackle. Dareus, 6-foot-3 and 319 pounds, has played both inside and outside and has been in a pro-style defense at Alabama under coach Nick Saban. He also has manners. "I'm a real nice guy," Dareus said. "Everybody I tackle, I pretty much help 'em up."

With the current collective bargaining agreement expiring this week, hope seems to fade with each passing day that the league can avoid an owners lockout by Thursday. NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith addressed nearly 700 agents in Indianapolis on Friday about the labor situation. While Smith didn't directly discuss recent negotiations, very few agents who attended the meeting sounded optimistic about a quick resolution. "I can't see how there won't be a lockout," one agent said. "They're very far apart (in negotiations)." Commissioner Roger Goodell also used the combine to update owners. Negotiators from both sides met for a week in Washington, and talks will continue Tuesday with federal mediator George Cohen.

New Denver coach John Fox said veteran Kyle Orton is his starting quarterback, not Tim Tebow.

New York Giants defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka, who missed 13 games in 2010 with a disk problem in his neck, was cleared to resume playing, general manager Jerry Reese said. Kiwanuka is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent.

The Associated Press and McClatchy News Services contributed to this report.